Chair One #6: A diversion

It’s been a while since I posted on my chair build. Truth of the matter is it hasn’t progressed very far. I had begun dimensioning some of the lumber I had ripped, but I was getting frustrated with not having a dedicated flat+true bench top. So I finally decided to build a planing beam out of some 2×4’s. It took a couple weekends, and it was nice not having the personal-pressures of having it come out “beautiful.”

Trying my best to avoid knots on the top.

What’s that thing about having too many clamps?

I might as well just cancelled my gym membership.

Getting my self situated in my “workshop” to set the layout on some sliding dovetails, my first!

The great thing about big-store pine is that it compresses to fit any joint, the worst thing about big-store pine is that it compresses and makes clean joinery a challenge.

I debated the grain orientation of the dovetail, and whether I should be recessed or not. In the end it was all probably overkill.

I have two stops on either end (no glue, so I can hammer them out of the way if I need to) to accommodate both my push and pull planes.

And finally today, I finished up squaring some more chair pieces on the new planing beam.

In parallel, I’m involving my dad on this build, by asking him to use his architectural skills to convert my sketches into some measured drawings on AutoCAD. Here’s the first iteration from pops.

Will ask him for some tweeks and a top elevation next. I still have some dimensioning left, but hoping in the next month or so, I can start doing some layout. Slow and steady!

4 comments so far

I’m guessing the front to back seat dimension is still in the works? I’m not a chair guru in the least but it seems a 5cm drop from front to rear would make for some long term discomfort on the underside of ones thighs. Wouldn’t it make for a bit of pressure along the front seat rail?

-- "With every tool obtained, there is another that is needed" DonW ( Kevin )

Hi Kevin, good to hear from you. The picture is actually a bit blurry, the differential between the front and back is 3 cm, but you bring up a good point. I’ll need to find a way to make sure these are all comfortable numbers. I am actually as much as possible trying to copy the dimensions from a Hans Wagner wishbone chair.